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SMTB Part 12: I'll Face Myself
DECEMBER 31, 2019 MT. SHIRAYUKI MOUNTAIN RESORT Rin sifted through her closet, humming to herself. She pulled out and studied a red yukata adorned with images of apple blossoms. "Always on brand, aren't we, sister?" Rose stood in the doorway, her hair tied back in a similar fashion to Rin's, and exuding an altogether brighter aura. "Well, of course. Just like how I just know yours is gonna be velvet." Rin replied. "Hmm. You got me there. If being near your family has taught me anything, it's how to stick with your identity." "Hey, hey. It's your family now too, Rose." "I know. I'm still getting used to it. It warms my heart just thinking about it." "The feeling's mutual. It's nice to hear someone besides Tan being happy to call me 'sister'." Rose pondered the statement. "Was...was Tohru truly so cruel to you, Rin? I'm still having a hard time comprehending how that can be the case." Rin stayed silent. "I'm sorry...I'll leave it be." Rose finally said. "Well...there was something else I needed to talk to you about. And the others, too." Rose said. She took Rin to the living room. The rest of the group had already gathered there. "Sorry to bring you all on such short notice. I know we're still busy preparing for tonight, but I felt that something needed taking care of." Rose explained. "It's no trouble at all. What's on your mind?" asked Jugo. "Well...our break is nearly at an end. Meaning, we'll soon be back in the crosshairs of Ishimaru and that murderous Reaper once more. If our first encounter taught me anything, it's that we weren't anything close to prepared for the power that man wields. So I sought council with my father, and he gave me a method. A method on how to gain the strength to defeat those men." "Well, shit. If you've got something like that, we'd all be down for it. So what's this method you've got?" Shūjo asked. "I feel it would be best to show you firsthand." Rose pulled out her phone. She inputted a set of coordinates, and a portal opened beneath each group member, pulling all of them in. Rin came to at the bottom a large pit, surrounded by doors. She was adorned in her red shihakusho. "Umm, Rose? Guys? Where'd you go? And what's with all the doors?" she asked. "Those doors are the entrances to our friends' innermost feelings." Rose appeared in front of Rin. "Don't be alarmed. They're all perfectly safe. They will only be awakened once you enter their respective doorway." "Doorway? What is all this, Rose?" "This is one of the lower-most levels of Tartarus. The name bestowed upon it is 'Muken'. This place is normally inaccessible to any within the Velvet Room, save for special occasions. It's normally an empty space, but when one bearing the Fool Arcana--like you--enters, then the bonds you've forged along the way will manifest themselves as doorways to the heart." Rin thought for a moment. "So those doors...they'd basically be taking me to their Palace? But I thought that only happened with a distorted heart." "This is different, Rin. Those doorways lead to a space occupied by our friends' deepest, most hidden doubts. And to gain the strength to overcome any obstacle, we need to do away with those negative feelings. We need to awaken them to their Personas' ultimate forms." Rin was taken aback. "Ultimate forms...? These things can go even further?" "Yes, they can. Let me show you." Rose's eyes glowed. Behind her appeared not the shadowy puppet that was Calcabrina, but a grey-skinned woman adorned in a pink kimono. "This is Kikuri-Hime, the advanced form of my Persona. This is the end result of turning a vow with the Fool into a blood oath. This is achieved through reaching a deep level of understanding. Rin. You accepting me as your family and giving me a deeper purpose absolved my heart of any lingering doubts. This is what must be done with our friends. Despite what they say, within the depths of their souls lie lingering doubts about our mission. It's up to you to bleach them clean, in a manner of speaking." "So...this is gonna be like a Palace, right? I just gotta get them to come to their senses?" "You need to get them to accept their deficiencies. Help them confront their demons, like you did with me. A fair warning, though...the Shadows you will encounter will be their darkest emotions given form. This might be...very unpleasant." "'Very unpleasant', huh...guess it wouldn't go any other way. Alright. Who's up first?" "Why don't we begin..." Rose looked up at a door with a stained glass image of Tenko, standing underneath a gigantic heart. "...where it began?" The girls entered the door. At that moment, Tenko opened her eyes. "Ugggh, what'd ya put in my drink, Rosie...huh? What the...?" She realized she was locked in a cage, hanging from the ceiling. Rin and Rose appeared in a dark hallway, with cages hanging from the ceiling and lining the walls. Those adorning the walls were in the shape of hearts. "What's with all this...glk!" Rin grabbed the wall. "Rin? What's...unh!" Rose clasped her throat. "Ugh...why's it feel so suffocating?!" Rin struggled to utter the words. Suddenly, an unsettling laugh echoed. "That laugh...is that..." uttered Rin. Then, a TV screen atop the wall turned on. The silhouette of a girl appeared sitting on a throne. All that could be seen of her was a pair of glowing yellow eyes. Even in shadow, Rin recognized the figure. "Tenko...?" The Shadow spoke in a distorted voice. "Well hello, hello, my lovelies~! Welcome to my comfy abode~! Sorry sorry for the discomfort~. I hear my love can be a bit...suffocating, ahahahaha~!" The Shadow then pulled out what looked to be a whip. "Oh, ohohohohOH. But I'm just soooooo happy you're here, my lovelies~! I've wanted you both in my collection ever since I laid eyes on you~! And now you're finally ready to be spoiled by moi~! So please please PLEASE don't keep us waiting, or I'm liable to get nasty. Ta taaaaa~!" The TV shut off. "Ugh, I think the air's lightened up. What was that about a collection?" Rin asked. "From the looks of it, it's love in its most uninhibited form. Possession. And judging from these cages, she has quite a bit to possess." Rose answered. The two progressed forward. Down the hall, they walked past more cages, several of them containing shadowy dogs of all kinds. The Shadow's voice echoed. "My pretty pupper palace has boopsies of every variety~! I love them just soooo much, I can't decide, so I picked all of them~! So many happy little boops, I can't stand it~!" "They certainly don't look that happy..." Rin said under her breath. "I knew she loved her dogs, but this is way overboard..." Rose looked down the hall, and her eyes widened. "Rin, look..." At the end of the hall, was another heart-shaped cell. Above the cell, in bubbly writing, was the name "Jin". The shocked pair looked inside. What appeared to be an exhausted Jin was chained to the wall by a leash. His gaze was empty. "Oh my God...what's he doing here?" Rin asked. Rose looked, and saw a shadowy aura below Jin's feet. "That explains it. This is a product of Tenko's cognition. It's not the real Jin." The voice echoed again. "See what this mean world did to my poor Jin? He's safe now in my arms~! It's the only place he can be safe~! I'd wrap him in bubble wrap if I could~. They can't hurt him if he can't go anywhere, right? Nobody hurts my sweetie when Tenko-chan is watching, ahahahahahahaha~!" Rin looked on in silence. "She...she's not this possessive, there's no way. He looks like another of her dogs..." "Remember, Rin. This is her emotions taken to the darkest extreme. I don't doubt that she wants to keep him safe, but this..." Rose responded. The two proceeded inside the nearby door. Inside the room was a high throne that sat atop several gold statues of dogs. Next to the throne was the cage holding Tenko. "Rin-Rin! Rosie! Thank God, what the hell is all this?!" she cried out. Then, in a sudden burst of blue flame, the Shadow appeared sitting on the throne. She held the whip, and was adorned in black-and-pink leather. "Hey hey heeeeey, language, young missy! Presentation is everything, y'know~!" she said. "What's with the attitude?! I thought we came to an understanding!" Tenko protested. "Ahahahahahaha~! She thinks she really gets me, how adorbs~! Why would I give anything to someone that doesn't even express her love the right way? Trust me sweets, I'm what you really want~!" "Oh, bullSHIT! Why would I want to be like you?!" The Shadow giggled. "You really need me to tell you? You need a reminder of just how goooood you are at protecting people? So good that our sweetie gets held at gunpoint practically once every week? If you really cared so much, you'd keep eyes on him 24/7! But nope. Instead he gets mangled by that red creep! That's why you need to listen to me. You should be wrapping him up in tape, and keeping him away from everyone else! If you really care about something, you keep it away from anything that can hurt it!" "That's why I want Rin-Rin and Rosie in my collection~! They're gonna be hurt just like Jin if you let them run around! You need to show your love for them, Tenko. I love my friends like nothing else. I love them sooooo much..." She started hugging herself, and turning red. "I love them so much that I'd rather kill them myself to keep them safe~!" Rin and Rose looked shocked. Tenko grew angrier. "Sh-shut the fuck up! Who do you think you are, saying that with my face?!" The Shadow laughed. "You're really asking me that~? I'm you, dummie~! I'm everything you wanna be~!" "That's crap and you know it!" "There's no way that you're me!" The Shadow's gaze turned darker. "Ahehehehe...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~! Deny all you want, you're gonna see how I love everything~! And I'll love you two...I'll love you to death~!" The Shadow was enveloped in flames, and emerged in the form of a pink-skinned woman, with white robes and large horns. "I am a Shadow, the true self...I am Ishtar, bringer of love and battle...you'll accept my love, won't you? I'll keep you safe, within my grasp, whatever the cost...even if it means taking your lives!" A bright light appeared underneath Rin. "Uh-oh." she uttered after looking up, quickly jumping away from the ensuing lightning strike. Further strikes pursued her as she dodged. She leapt at the Shadow, who grabbed the tip of her spear, and flung her away. "Don't you know how dangerous it is, playing with sharp objects like this? You're almost begging to get hurt! Why won't you just calm down?!" Another strike came down towards Rin, only to be blocked by a wall of light. Rin looked up and saw it. "Huh? This isn't Tenko's, this is..." She saw that her wounds were being healed by the light. Rose stood nearby, her Persona behind her. "As Jin would say, you never go into a dungeon without a White Mage on-hand." she said. Suddenly, the Shadow appeared behind Rose. "Don't speak that name around me so casually." she said in a menacing manner. She exuded a strong aura that pushed Rose away and into Rin. "Don't talk about him when you're the ones responsible for his plight!" The Shadow angrily brought down lightning on top of them, only for Rin to block it with her spear. The spear became electrified, and a lightbulb went off in Rin's head. She tossed the spear towards the Shadow, and an explosion of electricity ensued. The Shadow returned to her normal form, and collapsed to her knees. "You ready to play nice, now?" Rin asked. "....shut up. Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up SHUT UP! Is my protection so unwanted that you'd rather kick my ass than accept it?!" Then, she started to cry. "Oh, who am I kidding? What good is my protection when the people I promise to keep safe get hurt anyway? This is all so scary...and there's nothing I can do about it. Is this just the curse of love? Having to see people hurt and getting to feel every last bit of pain, knowing I can't help them at all?" "That's...that's enough." Tenko said. "I know why you're so afraid. I am too. It'd be so much easier to just lock everything away and hope that'd be enough, but that'd just be hurting people too. It'd be easier just to run away. And I've wanted to, so many times. Just grab Jin and run back to the countryside, and forget about all of this. But I can't abandon the people that I love here. So...I'm gonna have to learn to suck it up. Part of fencing is knowing how to maintain your posture, even when it gets dicey. I said I was going to keep you all safe no matter what, and that's what I'm gonna do." She looked at her Shadow. "That's what we're gonna do." The Shadow gave a nod, and disappeared into a tiny ball of light, which flew over to Tenko. She returned to her valkyrie garb. "I'd die for you both, you know that? Bestie's honor. I'm seeing this out to the end of the line. Even if it gets scary, as long as it's with the people I love, then it's not so bad. So like it or not...you're not getting rid of me~." The room began to shake, and a bright light enveloped the entire place. Rin and Rose were brought back to the room filled with doors. "Wait, we're back here? Where'd Tenko go?" Rin asked. "Her heart has been cleared of doubt. She's been returned to the material world. We needn't worry. For now, we press forward." Rose answered. They stood in front of another stained glass door, with an image of Shūjo hanging upside down from one leg, the other leg crossing it in a way that looked like the number '4'. "One down, four to go. You're up, JoJo." Rin said, before the two walked through the door. --- The girls appeared in what looked to be a large compound located next to a set of docks. It was dark, and not a soul was around. They stood in front of a large door, with a message scrawled on the front reading "Actions Have Consequences". "This isn't ominous at all." Rin stated. The girls entered the building, which was dimly lit and had walls decorated with traditional artworks. Rose took notice of one picture of a koi fish leaping at a waterfall, with a large dragon emerging from the top of the falls. "It's the Dragon's Gate legend." Rin said. "It's about carp that continuously try to leap over a waterfall, and the ones that succeed turn into dragons. It's a lesson in drive and hard work paying off, and how something supposedly weak can become mighty and powerful given enough effort." "Hmm. If at first you don't succeed, so on and so forth." Rose replied. The girls entered a large room, filled with artwork and artifacts of all kinds. In the center of the room was a large statue of a muscular man battling with some type of fanged humanoid creature. "'Jotensai Higashikata, First Among the Stars'. I'm guessing this guy's JoJo's ancestor." Rin said. "But what's that creature he's battling?" Rose asked. Then, the girls heard the sound of a gun being cocked. "It's a kyonshī. My ancestors were masters of killing the bloodsucking freaks. So they say, anyway." The girls turned to see Shūjo standing there, garbed in a white suit, sunglasses covering his glowing yellow eyes, and pointing a pistol at them. "Guess people just don't bother with knocking anymore. Shame. Respect is really a lost art." he said in a distorted voice. "JoJo?!" Rin uttered. "Shut it. You need permission to call me that. Now move." He forced the girls into the next room. "Y'all are gonna stand here and watch." the Shadow said. He snapped his fingers, and Rin and Rose's hands and feet were suddenly bound with rope. "And now, for the guest of 'honor'." He snapped his fingers again, and the real Shūjo, tied up and suspended by a rope, was lowered from the ceiling. "Tch, freakin' bastard! The hell do ya think you're doing?!" he demanded. "What do you think, dumbass? I'm cleaning up the mess you made." the Shadow retorted. He brought out a katana. The real one began to look nervous. "...tell me something, broads." the Shadow said. "Y'all know family is important, right? Those ties, they're not ours to break, right?" Rin thought about it. "Well, no. It's...it's the most important thing. There's always going to be a bond, even if things get really bad." "I...only just recently came to understand what family means. And I couldn't live now without it." Rose added. "See, there is. That's exactly right. There's bonds that ya can't break. And that if you do..." The Shadow put the sword up to Shūjo's neck. "...you're better off dead." "Knock it off! You know if he dies, you'll disappear too, moron!" Rin yelled. "If that's what it'll take to make everything square, then so be it." the Shadow responded. "What...?" uttered Rin. "Where I come from...shaming your family and clan is the worst thing you could possibly do. And I want nothing more than to walk up to the elders, get on my knees and beg for forgiveness. There was a point where I still had honor. Back then, I had a crew, people that'd die for me, and who I'd die for. What do I got now? A buncha chumps with weak stomachs that can't handle seeing one body. All because my family of cowards couldn't handle it anymore. I could give two shits if it was illegal, if I went down, I'd still have my honor. I'd still have my clan's respect. I don't got jack shit now." "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Shūjo yelled. "Ya know how much it pisses me off, hearing that shit comin' outta your mouth?! I don't give a rat's ass about going back! There's nothing there for me except an early death!" "Heh. That really what ya think? Hate to break it to ya, but me even existing proves that's bull. You want nothing more than to have that honor and respect back. I know that for a fact. Cuz I am you." "No, nuh uh, no way in HELL!" "There ain't a chance in hell that you're me!" The Shadow put his hand to his face. "Hehehehehe...HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, you're so useless, useless, USELESS! I'm you, and there's no denying it!" he growled. He was enveloped in blue flames. He emerged in the form of a green-skinned, mummified man, with his legs and left arm separate from the rest of his body, yet moving as if they weren't. He held a dagger in his right hand. "I am a Shadow, the true self...call me Attis, god of rebirth. I must restore that which has been tarnished...atonement can only be achieved through the ultimate sacrifice...and as for you lot...the price for meddling shall be sharing in my fate!" Flames began erupting from around the room. The Shadow launched a wave of fire towards the girls, who rolled away at the last moment. Rin broke free of her bindings, and began dodging the fire. She ran to Rose and tried untying her, before another wave of flames came towards them. Instinctively, Rin shielded Rose, taking the brunt of the hit. Rose frantically escaped from her bonds and attempted to heal the badly wounded Rin. "Shit...!" Shūjo struggled to break free, when a nearby fire managed to erode away the rope. He saw that the Shadow had dropped the katana, and grabbed it. The Shadow floated above Rose and Rin. "How honorable that you put your comrade's safety above your own. Honorable, but pointless." He readied another attack. Shūjo stepped in front, blade drawn. "Really? Are you really going to come at me with only that?" the Shadow chided. "'Course not. I'm just gonna make a point." Shūjo then put the sword against his stomach. "Wait, what are you--" the Shadow said in a strangely panicked manner. "You said it yourself, right? I have to die to make everything square. You don't got any objections, do you?" "I...I don't..." "Heh, just like I thought. You're full of shit after all!" "I'm...that isn't--" Before the Shadow could react, he was kneed across the face by a healed Rin. She propelled herself above him, then struck him to the ground with her spear. She put the edge of it to his throat. "Guess you're not that willing to play martyr, huh?" she taunted. The Shadow returned to his base form. "I'm having a hard time understanding...why would you demand to be killed, yet be so fearful at the sight of it?" Rose asked. "...I'm the shame of the yakuza. A real gangster wouldn't turn his back on his men. He wouldn't fear death. Death is the only way to repent...it's the only way for her to be safe..." Rin perked up. "Her? You mean Hiyoko?" "I seek death to restore my honor, but I'm scared to die. Me being gone would keep Hiyoko from being hurt because of me, but then who's to say someone won't hurt her for something else? I can't stand it...what does any of it even mean?!" "It means we're weak." Shūjo said bluntly. "JoJo?" Rin said. "I make it sound like I was some remorseless badass. Truth is, I could never stomach the gangster life. I just wanted to spend time out on the water, play a few games, make sure Hiyoko was happy. I saw an out and I welcomed it. But when you're brought up with that kind of code, it eats away at you. I saw how much me leaving pissed off Kaido. I wondered if maybe letting him end me would really set things right. But that'd just be taking the easy way out. There's still a battle to fight. And even if I'm weak, it's not in my blood to shy away from a fight. I'm gonna make things square, but the right way. I'll make my own path, and I'll keep my soul along the way." The Shadow nodded, and disappeared into a ball of light, floating to Shūjo, who regained his captain's garb. "Hey. Thanks for the assist. What he said about guys that have your back was wrong. I know who I've got behind me. And it's good to know that if something did happen to me, that Hiyoko would still have people to look after her. And that you wouldn't let anything slide. That's what any good leader does for their guys. Which reminds me...thought I saw it somewhere..." Shūjo scoured around, to Rin and Rose's confusion. "Ah, right. Here we go." Shūjo brought over a bottle of sake and a single cup. "This might be breaking tradition a bit, doin' this with a girl I'm not getting married to but, eh, what the hell. Sentiment's still there." "Hang on. Is that what I think it is?" Rin asked. "Yep. Sworn brotherhood, or...something. Too much?" "Oh, no no no. I-I'm flattered. I just didn't realize you thought so highly of me..." "What, ya kiddin'? You're the one that talked me into being honest. I'd still be a grouchy old bum pretending I didn't have feelings if ya hadn't given me the talk. You made me remember who the real me was. That's enough for me." Rin started blushing. "W-well, if you insist..." Shūjo poured the sake, and the two took turns drinking it. "There we go. From now on...I'm your dutiful minion for life." Shūjo expressed. "I...wouldn't go that far. Just friends would be OK." "Whatever you say, Apple-sama." The place shook, and the bright light appeared once more. Rin and Rose reappeared in the pit of doors. "So...I'm a yakuza grandmaster now? Is that what this is?" Rin asked. "I don't think that's it at all." Rose said bluntly. "Well, anyway, that's two down. I don't have good feelings about the ones we have left..." "I know. There must be a lot of buried resentment behind the remaining doors. But we have no choice but to clear them. The Fool's path is one fraught with danger." "Yeah, I know. But still..." Rin stared at the next door, which bore an image of Jin, wrapped in a brown hood and holding a lantern. "I don't have good feelings about what's behind that one." --- The pair were transported in front of the entrance to a cave, lying on a snowy mountain. The entrance was lit by a pair of torches on each side. "Hunh. Wasn't this a prison the last time?" Rin asked. "Clearly the contents of his cognition have changed. I would expect something far worse than a devil in a suit this time around." Rose answered. The two walked into the cave. The cave's halls were lit up by torches. What was peculiar was the lack of any sound, either by their footsteps, water dropping onto rock, or anything else. Rin opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out, much to her surprise. Rose attempted the same, and got the same result. As they walked further, they came across a message carved into the cave wall. "What it's like being me.", it read. The pair knew what that meant. They pressed on. They eventually reached a wall of rock that blocked the path forward. As they tried to find a way past it, lights began glowing on the surface of the wall. The lights flashed all the letters of the alphabet, and above them, a question. "The Give a Damn Test, Question #1: Who do I love more than anyone else in the world?" Rin and Rose looked at each other. Rose took the hint, and pressed the lights, spelling out "Tenko Kitsunezaru". After finishing, the wall slowly, silently rose up. They pressed onward, reaching another lit-up wall. Another question appeared. "The Give a Damn Test, Question #2: What's my favorite game ever?" Rin thought about the answer. She went back to when they went to the Yokos' game store. There was one game that they refused to take, knowing how special it was. She spelled out "Final Fantasy 4". The wall rose up. Nervously, they proceeded forward. They then reached another wall, and another question appeared. "The Give a Damn Test, Question #3: What killed my father?" The girls looked at each other. Jin had never explicitly told anyone how his father had died. They toiled over the answer for several minutes. Rose tried thinking of anything that could hint to what the cause was. She recalled several times when Jin seemed despondent and agitated for no apparent reason. She thought long and hard about what these times had in common. Each time, someone nearby was holding something. This was the only thing Rose could think of. She typed out "Cigarettes". The wall rose up. An entranceway lied beyond it. The girls walked through. As they entered the room, they could hear their footsteps. "Is that it? We can talk again now?" Rin asked. "It would appear so." Rose answered. The room itself was dimly lit, with a raised platform similar to a stage at the end of it. On the stage, underneath a spotlight, was Jin, on his knees looking down. "There he is!" exclaimed Rin. Suddenly, a boulder came down behind them, blocking the entrance. Then, an ominous whistle echoed out. The Shadow, garbed again in a black leather jacket, jeans and a red neckerchief, appeared. "Pissin' our pants yet?" he said. "Boy, do I got a feelin' we're getting close. What's wrong? Forgot what I sounded like? Unlike this sad sack over here, I've still got the gift of gab. Even with that, I wanted to give you ladies a taste of what a silent hell feels like. Boy, it ain't good at all, is it?" "It's the worst, Jin. I'm sorry you have to endure this." Rin answered. "Oh, I bet you are. Cuz I mean, it's not like I only got this way cuz of your scarlet stalker, right? Nah, that ain't it at all." "Don't start. It wasn't Rin's fault." Rose asserted. "Oh, I know that. I've got no one to blame but myself." "This is what I get for tryin' to be all social. I might've been better off locking myself away in my room, or lettin' that sales bullshit kill me. But then I had to get all sentimental, had to let people sweet talk me into bein' someone I'm not. And now look. I finally stick my neck out for somebody..." The Shadow removed his neckerchief, revealing a large scar across his neck. "...and this is the thanks I get?" "Then y'all had to come barging in here. Even had the nerve to give so much of a damn as to get my questions right. The worst thing you could do is care about my quiet ass. All it leads to is trouble. So, if ya don't mind me asking, please piss off. I'm better off by myself." "You're wrong..." The Shadow turned around. "I don't want to be alone anymore..." Jin said through his tablet. The Shadow smirked. "That so? Even after all this, ya still think being around people's the best thing? Ya really that dense?" "I like being around my friends." "Oh, I believe it. But likin' something and it bein' good for ya are two totally different things. Just ask Dad." "Don't you dare talk about my father, you bastard. Who the hell do you think you are?" "Well, I'm you. Duh. I'm the part of you that gets it. Ya understand that much, don't you?" "You're...you're not..." "Don't say it!" Rin yelled out. "No. Let him vent. This needs to happen." Rose asserted. The Shadow's gaze turned darker. He smirked. "So that's the way it's gonna be, huh?" He got up, then turned to the girls. "I thought I told y'all to piss off. Dad taught me never to hit girls. But shooin' you out of here won't count as hitting. No one comes in here and flips my shit switch without consequences. NO. EXCEPTIONS." Blue flames engulfed the Shadow. He emerged as a figure garbed in pitch-black ninja-style attire, with a dark kitsune mask, glowing orange slits for eyes, and wielding a double-bladed staff with the edges shaped like crescent moons. "I am a Shadow, the true self. I am Ongyo-ki, master of illusion and subterfuge. Those who would disturb my peace shall pay a heavy price." Suddenly, numerous copies of him sprouted up around the girls. "Now, disappear!" The copies all began to swarm the girls. Rin jabbed at them, but they would disappear as soon as they were struck. Rose blasted them with a ray of light, but more kept appearing as soon as one was defeated. The originak Shadow stood before Jin. "We could end this right here, Jin. You don't have to keep protecting them. We don't need people, never have." "What about Tenko? You saying we don't need her?" "She doesn't need us. The less she'd have to worry about, the better. And all we give her is worry. Trust me, it's best for everyone." "No, it's not. All I hear out of you is bitter garbage. If I'm such a horrible person, then why would anyone want to be around me? Why would Rin and Rose be here? You want me to be honest? There's about a million things I'd change about myself. And my luck can be absolute garbage. But...I want to be around people. Not bottled away, spending the time hating myself. What happened to us sucks, it sucks a lot. It isn't a reason to shut them out." "They're the ones that brought the bastard here!" "The bastard brought himself. You're blaming the wrong people, here. I'd never turn my back on them. Because...because Dad wouldn't want us wallowing in misery." The copies stopped appearing. The girls turned to the stage. "What you want is revenge, right? I'll let you have it. But it's gotta be on the right people. Next time I see that gun-toting shit, he isn't walking away. And you're gonna help me. Deal?" The Shadow nodded. He disappeared into light, and connected with Jin, who returned to his black-hooded appearance. "Hey, you two. Sorry you had to deal with that craziness. Thanks again, for everything. You guys were the first people I met other than Tenko that didn't think I was weird. I guess...the other me had a hard time believing it could be real. But I'm through with the doubting. I'm following you 'til the end of the line. And I'm buying y'all as many plushies as you can handle." Rin was startled. "As many...as we can handle?" "That...that level of fluffiness is making my head spin." said a blushing Rose. "Hehehe. I'll make Pokemaniacs out of you yet. It's a promise from your resident teddy bear." Jin said with a wink. The room disappeared in a flash of light. The girls were back in the pit full of doors. "Uh, Rose? Something wrong?" Rin asked. Rose was lost in thought. "So...so much fluffy..." she mumbled. "Oh, boy. Least I know what her weakness is. Hey, Earth to Rose. We've still got work to do." "Oh, my, y-yes. Sorry, that was rather embarrassing..." "Don't sweat it. We gotta keep it together. Cuz we're going from one can of worms to another..." The door in front of them bore an image of Hiyoko sitting on a throne, an ornate crown on her head. They entered. --- Rin found herself standing behind a podium, in a room where numerous podiums formed a circle. Rose was beside her. "The heck is this? Looks like some kind of trial room..." Rin wondered. Rose looked over at the witness' chair. "Look, Rin..." Sitting there was Hiyoko. "You two...? What's going on? Where are we...?" "Silence. You're not to speak out of turn in my courtroom." a distorted voice bellowed out. Sitting in the judge's chair was another Hiyoko, her hair down, garbed in black and white attorney's attire, and bearing those familiar yellow eyes. "Such rude behavior is unbecoming of a lady. Wouldn't you agree, Hiyoko 'Kagetora'?" "...." "Hrm. Taking a vow of silence rather than risk saying the wrong thing. How very much like our mother." The statement made Hiyoko cringe. "Hey, what's the big idea? What's with the courtroom setup?" Rin demanded. "It would seem manners truly are a foreign concept to some. I'd expected better from a supposed prodigy, Ms. Kubo. Oh well. To answer your question, this is where I'll be judging my 'real self' on her decision making. To be precise...you're going to convince me of why I should continue with this deranged quest of yours." "'Deranged'?" Rose questioned. "I'm going to keep it simple. You all convince me that this is the right path, and I'll let you all free. Enrage me further, and I'll execute you both on the spot. Don't waste my time." "Execute...?!" uttered a surprised Rin. "First question. Why should I continue to endanger myself for the sake of your battles, Ms. Kubo?" "It's not for my sake alone, Hiyoko. You should know that by now. The Reaper is a very real danger to a lot of people. Did you forget about what he did to your own mother?" Rin responded. "Ah, but of course. That brings me to my next point. Why should I be upset by that?" "Huh?" The Shadow turned to Hiyoko. "Are you really so unaware that you've convinced yourself that that hag is worth avenging? Do you not remember the nightly prayer rituals to expunge our demons? Abandoning us to indulge in her hypocritical vices? Are you really trying to convince people that you didn't feel even the slightest bit of relief seeing her head in that box?" "I'm...I'm nowhere near being so barbaric or vindictive." Hiyoko asserted. "Keep telling yourself that. On to the next question." "Tell me something. Is it really so wise to drag someone so ill around such dangerous places? Are the hospital visits not enough?" Her hand began to shake slightly. "Is the denial of the one thing I desire most not enough?" "Hiyoko...I didn't realize this still hurt you so much. You opened up to me before, that even with your body's limitations, as long as you had JoJo and the kids from the orphanage, that you'd be okay. And I don't recall ever forcing you to come along with us." Rin said. "On top of that, when I took you to Tartarus the first time, I never sensed any sort of reservation from you. This has all been of your own free will." Rose added. The Shadow's hand continued to shake. "What's the matter? That wall of confidence have a few cracks?" Rin asked. "N-next point. This one will be my last, and then I'm passing judgement. What benefit has come from my associating with you all?" Before Rin could answer, Hiyoko spoke up. "She gave me a family." she said. "To be exact, she gave me two. Our group is the first. And then, she led me to the family I thought I would never find. She allowed me to discard my mother's name once and for all. I can finally live free of that woman's shadow." The Shadow grew agitated. "That girl has only led us to despair. And the family she led you to? The man whose name you took on? A fraud and a criminal. No better than the harpy. Why won't you just accept that this girl is a danger to everyone she comes near?!" "Because it isn't true. And nothing you could say could convince me otherwise." "You little...! I'm not some complete stranger putting words in your mouth. I'm every thought you've ever had. I'm you, you brat!" "I have a hard time believing that." The Shadow's aura flared up. "You know what...to hell with the judgement. I'm proceeding to the execution." Blue flames enveloped the Shadow. What emerged, floating in the air, was a blonde, barefoot woman garbed in a green dress, with transparent wings. "I am a Shadow, the true self. I am Titania, queen of the faeries. Those who would defy my will shall be met with divine punishment. Beginning with those who would willingly bring harm to those already scarred by the whims of fate." She began to exude a nuclear aura. Before she could attack, a voice stopped it. "That's quite enough of that." Hiyoko said. "What did you just say? You still want to object?" "I want to clarify. I can see why you're so upset. Everything's been happening so quickly. I latched onto the Kagetora name because it was my way to distance myself from mother permanently. And I'll admit...there was a part of me that was glad she couldn't hurt me anymore. But I still mourned...I mourned for what could have been. But I realize something now. In some insane way, I should thank my mother. For letting me find my own, true place in the world. I never would have met JoJo, or the rest of the group, and I never would have found my family. I would probably still be suffering, or worse. So...I understand your confusion, and your anger. But it is sorely misplaced. I don't regret anything. I'm completely happy with where I am. Is that a good enough answer for you?" The Shadow turned back to normal. She gave a contented sigh, and nodded, before vanishing into light. Hiyoko was garbed in her hooded attire once more. Hiyoko walked over to Rin, and grabbed her hand. "You have my undying gratitude, Rin. You've given me the chance to know what family truly is. You've given me my name. I know that what we're dealing with is terrifying. But this life, I wouldn't trade it for anything. So you have me at your service from now and beyond. It's the least I can do. And..." She winked. "I stand by what I said back then. Any child of yours will be insanely lucky. But that's something for another time. For now..." The room shook, and the light appeared. The girls appeared before the final door. "Last one, huh..." Rin uttered. The door bore an image of Jugo lifting up a lion with his bare hands. "This one should be intriguing. Someone with his fortitude, what could his heart be hiding..." Rose wondered. "Only one way to find out." The girls entered. --- The girls found themselves in an abandoned town, not unlike what one would see in an Old Western movie. "Boy I'm glad there's no one else here. We'd stick out like a sore thumb." Rin said. "I'm fully expecting a tumbleweed to pass by at any moment." Rose added. The girls approached a saloon. "This is where all the trouble goes down in westerns. If there's one thing that's never changed about humans, it's alcohol not being far from insanity." Rin said. The girls entered the saloon. Sitting at the bar, with his back to the door, was a young man in dark cowboy attire. On the back of his vest was an image of a pair of pistols crossing each other in an 'X' shape. "In case y'all were wondering, those guns would be the Colt Single Action Army. Otherwise known as--" "The Colt .45. Fitting." Rose interjected. "Smart girl. My ma got my pa into Westerns back before I was born. 'Shijūgo' was a cheeky nod on their part. Translated a lot better than 'Clint', methinks." He rose up, and turned to the girls. It was indeed Jugo, with the familiar yellow eyes. "So...what can I do for you ladies?" "Where's your real self, Jugo?" Rin asked. "Oh. Him. I was just about to go pay him a visit. See, I've got a real dilemma on my hands I was hopin' you ladies could help me with. Follow me." The Shadow walked out of the room. The girls looked at each other, before following. The Shadow brought them to the center of town. Tied to a post was the real Jugo. "Could you please untie this thing? I have to pee." he asked. The Shadow pointed a revolver at Jugo. "Don't worry, pal. You won't have to in a minute. So ladies, I've got a bit of an issue here. And y'all are the only ones that can settle it for me." "Okay...what do you want?" Rose asked. "Growing up, my folks taught me about discipline, about followin' the rules. They taught me that the law's the law, no matter how unfair it seems. The people makin' the laws obviously got there for a reason. But...this whole 'changing hearts' business...it goes against all of that. I disobeyed my superior's orders for the first time ever, and cuz of that...that superior's dead. And he ain't the only one. So my question is...is this thing we're doing the right thing? Would the ending to this whole thing justify everything it's cost us? Is changing people against their will really OK?" Rin pondered a response. "I'm sorry. I know this goes against a lot of your principles, Jugo. But what else can we do? Let some crooks with too much power run around doing whatever they want, knowing they're in the perfect spot to dodge consequences? I'm gonna regret all the pain that's come from this forever. But this needs to be done." "Hmph. Doin' the 'wrong' thing for the 'right' reasons. Well at the end of the day, it's still the 'wrong' thing. And doin' the wrong thing comes with consequences. For you and and everyone around ya. Just ask Hiyoko and Jin what doin' the wrong thing's brought 'em." the Shadoe said. "I don't give a damn if it's the wrong thing. Letting a murderer run around would be even worse." Jugo interrupted. "Oh, come on. It ain't our fight, Jugo. Just let the proper authorities deal with him. He'll slip up sooner or later." "Not this one. Not with his planning, and not with his power set. We're the only ones equipped to win this." "You trying to tell me the justice system we've been raised to respect ain't good enough? Well I don't buy it. The real you doesn't buy it." "You aren't the real me, genius." The Shadow's mood darkened. "Awww, now you've gone and hurt my feelings. Tell ya what I'm gonna do. Hey, red. Whaddya say we settle this mano-a-mano? I'll only take on someone with guts as my superior. Prove that this stunt's worth it. If ya can." The Shadow surrounded itself in blue flames. Emerging from the flames was a goateed figure, wearing a tattered black kimono with a design resembling a mulberry plant across his back. He wielded a katana in one hand, a pistol in the other. "I am a Shadow, the true self. I am Sanjuro, the Ronin with No Name. Prove to me that you are worthy of being called 'master'. Prove to me that this is a battle that can be won!" Rin drew her spear. "Put away the gun and let's fight fair and square." she asserted. "Fine. Then you can't use your backup." the Shadow responded. "Won't even need it." Rin answered. She turned to Rose. "I'll be fine. I've been taking some pointers from Tenko on fighting against someone with a sword." Rose nodded. "I have supreme confidence in you, sister." The Shadow lunged at Rin, who blocked without turning. "Attacking while my back's turned. That's some prime honor right there." "You should know never to turn your back to someone intending to kill you. How could anyone possibly follow someone who'd make such novice errors?" "I blocked it, didn't I?" The Shadow continued his assault, with Rin blocking every attack. "Why aren't you fighting back? Are you that much of a coward?" Rin didn't respond. Tenko's words echoed. "You can tell your opponent's getting frustrated when they try the same motion over and over again. Try to watch their movements, find the weak point in their motion. Impatience is the enemy of any swordsman." The Shadow continued attacking. Then, when he raised his sword once more, Rin acted quickly. She jabbed him in the side with the blunt end of her spear, stunning him. She then used the spear to swat away his sword, before sweeping his legs, causing him to fall over. She withdrew her spear. "Better luck next time, kimosabe." She went to untie Jugo. "Rose, you wanna give me a hand here?" Rose went to her. The Shadow rose back up, and drew his pistol. "I told you...never to turn your back to me!" He fired at Rin. Then, Izanami appeared behind her, catching the bullet. Rin sighed. "Learn how to take a loss, buddy." After being untied, Jugo walked over to the Shadow, who'd returned to his earlier form. "I'm not gonna sit here and deny that I've been conflicted. Rules are rules, after all. But it's like they said. Some people can't be punished with how the rules are nowadays. This is a war that needs to be fought. The right way. Not by attacking someone with their back turned like a coward. She beat you fairly, so accept it and accept that she's in charge. I don't have any problems following her orders. So suck it up and let's finish this war together. Got it?" The Shadow nodded, and disappeared into light. Jugo took on his camouflage garb. "Doing the right thing isn't always gonna be easy. But I know that what we're doing is just. And...I couldn't ask for a better commanding officer to lead us. I'll follow you no matter what. To hell and back, if that's what it'll take. Use me however you see fit, Boss." "Well, I wouldn't say 'use' is the word I'd go with, but I'm glad you're on-board with this. We'll get this done, all of us will. I know it." Rin said. Jugo gave a salute. "Roger that." The light flashed, and the girls found themselves in the living room of their cabin. The others were all gathered there. "So...what was all that about, Rosie?" Tenko asked. "I'm sorry for the hasty decision. But when the time comes to face the harshest challenges, we need everyone prepared. In terms of power, and mindset. Even the slightest bit of doubt could jeopardize everything. So I wanted to clear you all of lingering misgivings." Rose replied. "Well I'm not complaining. Every hero's gotta have a power-up." Jin said. "So we're all on the same page. I can think of one way we can celebrate." Jugo added. Hiyoko looked at her watch. "Oh, it's almost time for the festival! We'd all better hurry." The group scattered. A short while later, Rin had changed into her yukata. She heard a knock at her door. Rose stood there, wearing a velvet yukata. "On brand as usual, I see." Rin said with a smirk. "I learn from my family." Rose replied with a light smile. "Hey, I'm having a little trouble putting this in my hair, could you help?" she asked, holding a rose. "Yeah, of course." "So, you did exceptionally well helping everyone today. I can tell how much trust they have in you." "Oh, please. I barely did anything. They helped themselves more than anything I did." "Even if that's the case, they all expressed their gratitude and trust in you. Dangerous as the mission is, and they don't have any more reservations. Clearly you've done something right by them." "You're really overexaggerating. I'm just being me. If anything, I should be the grateful one. If I didn't have you guys around, I'd still be moping by myself in my room. Aaaaand done." "Mmm. Beautiful. Thank you, Rin." "No, Rose. Thank you." The girls departed shortly after. As they walked away from the cabin, meeting with the rest of the group, a gaze fell upon them. Sitting on top of the cabin, unbeknownst to the group, was the familiar red-hooded figure of the Reaper. Behind him, a portal opened up. He turned to it. "So, how's it feel? Like you never left it, right?" He looked to the group. "Gotta say, she's gotten real chummy with that lot. Hell, looks like she's even found a replacement. Gotta burn up the old ego, huh? Not that you'd give a damn." The Reaper began eating from a bag of potato chips. "It's getting close, right? Once they drop the hammer on Ishimaru, it's all but done. All I've gotta do is, ugh...have them find out who I am. It's gonna suck, but if you're on the money, the world we're gonna make is gonna be so worth it." The Reaper started to chuckle. "Oh, it's gonna be one hell of a new year!" The figure revealed himself. Dark hair, glasses, and a hooded Naruku Ascension blazer. Hands behind his back, he smirked, a glow in his glasses. "Ain't that right, Tohru-sama?"